Paterson paints election as 'stark choice'

Incumbent Bryan Paterson says this mayoral election is a referendum on his, and the city's, performance in the past four years in Kingston. (Elliot Ferguson/The Whig-Standard/Postmedia Network)Elliot Ferguson / Elliot Ferguson/Whig-Standard

KINGSTON – Incumbent mayoral candidate Bryan Paterson is trying to paint this election as a clear choice between two opposing visions of the city.

“I honestly think that this election is a very stark choice,” Paterson said. “It’s a choice between growth and expansion and opening up Kingston to development, to new global opportunities, or pulling back and holding on to what we have and risking even losing what we have.”

Paterson, for those with any doubt, supports the former choice.

His campaign has focused on city council’s approval of major infrastructure projects, such as the Cataraqui River crossing, the expansion of the city’s airport and the attraction of a couple of large international investments by Portuguese food processing company Frulac and Chinese infant formula manufacturer Feihe International.

“I think, to some degree, this election is a referendum on the direction and the progress that we have made over the last four years,” Paterson said. “I’m hearing from people that they like the progress, they like the new jobs, they like the third crossing and the expansion. That is what we need to continue to build on.

“There is a very clear choice. We are either going to continue to build and grow or we are going to shrink back.”

The city, and Paterson himself, has been criticized for conducting too much public business behind closed doors.

But Paterson said the level of transparency and open government — part of the current council’s strategic plan set in 2014 — has never been higher.

“We have made enormous gains in public engagement,” Paterson said. “Thousands of people are engaged with the city on key projects.”

The only time council discusses planning issues behind closed doors is when the project has been appealed to the Local Planning Appeal Tribunal or its predecessor, the Ontario Municipal Board. To discuss such issues in open session would potentially provide material that could be used against the city at the tribunal.

“Most development projects, unless they are appealed, are open from beginning to end,” Paterson said.

At the doorstep, Paterson said he is hearing about people’s concerns about the third crossing, development and intensification and the condition of roads and sidewalks.

With the rebuilding of the downtown section of Princess Street, Paterson said other roads in the city will see attention.

“We have spent millions of dollars rebuilding Princess Street and the side streets over the last number of years, and so those streets look great now,” he said. “But now we can free up those dollars, now that projects are done, and start to look at other key streets that definitely need to be rebuilt, whether that’s Brock Street or King Street. That’s definitely a project we need to work on.”

What also needs work is the supply of housing in the city, and Paterson said he supports “balanced development” of all kinds of housing across the city.

Bryan Paterson and the other mayoral candidates listen to a question from the floor during a debate at City Hall in Kingston on Thursday, Oct. 11, 2018. (Elliot Ferguson/The Whig-Standard/Postmedia Network)Elliot Ferguson /
Elliot Ferguson/Whig-Standard